1. Field of the Invention
A reusable tile template for self installation of tile on a horizontal or vertical surface, each template being supplied in the same dimension as the large tile being laid, each tile template having an erasable marking surface and made of a bendable material, preferably a recyclable flexible rubber, the tile template being located over the spot where a complex cut tile is to be placed. A mark or fold is applied to the template of the proper size and shape of the next laid tile after which the template dimensions are transferred to the tile to be cut for installation. The tile template is subsequently restored to its flat origin and reused for the next tile as a template until the entire tile installation is complete.
2. Description of Prior Art
A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present tile template, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art.
The most relative patent found was U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,157 to Snider, which is disclosed as a sheet of paper that is folded and marked for single use on a single tile to be cut. It is not reusable and is intended to adhere to the tile using a portion of the tile adhesive picked up when overlaid in the space where the tile is going. It is supplied in tear off sheets. The remaining prior art patents do not contemplate the or serve as a basis to sustain any obviousness basis for rejection.
The present tile template is intended form multiple tile use, by using ink or an erasable marker to mark the size and shape of the next laid tile on a wall or floor, with the tile template presenting a copy of the tile configuration with cutouts and cutoff portions, providing a light-weight example of the next laid tile prior to cutting the next laid tile. The template is preferably a rubber product with flexibility for bending, but should have no weft side to side of warp, front to back. A preferable embodiment would be a recycled rubber with webbing inlaid to prevent the weft stretch, ensuring that the tile template is not deformed so that mis-marking can occur.